Title:Food, Inc. Director: Robert Kenner Release year:2008 What is the central argument or narrative of the film? The central argument of the film is the corporation effect on food. The film shows how the meat is produce by corporation, not by farmers any more. These foods made by the corporations are dangerous. After tobacco, farming failed, chicken farming becomes popular. Because of the growth hormones, chickens grow so big that they cannot keep up with their own weight. To reduce the diseases, these chickens are feed antibiotic through food. The bacteria become resistance so the antibiotic does not work anymore. All the chicken go to processor, even the chicken are sick. The farmers are slaves to the company. One of the farmer, Carole loss the contract with the corporate, after she refused to raised the chicken in dark, tunnel ventilated houses. Most of farmers are in a lot of debt. Therefore, they cannot raise their voice. 90% of the soybeans are Roundup ready soybeans by Monsanto. Corns are also vastly produced by breeder, pesticides, and fertilizers. Corn could produce many other products and they are also use to feed animals since it make the animals fat quickly. The dollar menu, the foods are chipper, but vegetables are expensive. Salt, fat, and sugar causing obesity. People are having more diabetics. What sustainability problems does the film draw out? The film mentioned many sustainability problems. Beside direct sustainable problems like water pollutions, the food system also produce many matrix sustainable problems. E-coli are found in beef, spinach, and apple juice. A child named Kevin died in 12 days from e-coli. All the pesticides and fertilizers that used in producing corn are polluting the water. The corporate are taking advantages of many workers. Meat packing industry has a lot of illegal Mexican worker. Worker are being arrested, but industries do not get in trouble even they hired them. The laws are not strong enough to support the farmers. Corporate investigate farmers to find out the they are saving any seed. Farmers cannot claim their own seed because they could be fall under copyright violation. Justice system is corrupted. Current Supreme court justice was Monsanto’s attorney. Govt. employees were also linked with Monsanto. Many people worked for Monsanto now work for government. All the consumer should label, but companies fought not to label. They make laws, where it becomes harder to sue them. Since these corporate are holding the market, other countries cannot compete. What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why? There are many compelling part in this film. The industrial food system started with the fast food. Mcdonald fast food restaurant bring the factory system to restaurant. They are the largest buyer for beef, chicken, pork, apple, tomato, cabbage. Therefore, they are controlling the quality of the food. Tyson is controlling the chicken. Chicken are change to have bigger breast meat in smaller days than past. E-coli evolved from feeding the cow corn. Chief of USDA was chef of beef industry, head of the FDA, was vice president of the national food processor. FDA reduced the food safety inspections from past. Court said, USDA don’t have the power to shut down the plants even though had contaminated food. What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? Why? The film mentioned, the system do not find the source of the problem, rather they come up with hi-tech solution. Hi-tech solutions are good but to solve a problem, they need to find the solution too. The hamburger meat was cleaned with ammonia to kill E-coli. Since, these corporate make so much money, why they do not invest more people to come up with sustainable ways for production. What audiences does the film best address? Why? I think everybody should watch this film, especially parents. This film could be little extreme for the children. Therefore, they do not need to see the film. They could learn all the bad and goog food habits from their parents. What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value? The film could have mentioned about the negative effects on the soil because of the mono farming. It also did not relate the corporate food system with many sustainable problems, like global warming, climate change and others. The film focused mostly on USA. If the film showed some other different food growing system from other countries, audiences could have compared the systems. What kinds of action and points of intervention are suggested by the film? If the film itself does not suggest corrective action, describe actions that you can imagine being effective. The film suggests few solutions. According to them, battle against tobacco could be a model. Buy from the companies that treat workers, animals, and the environment with respect. After going to the supermarket, choose foods that are in season, buy organic food, know the content, and read the label. Buy foods that are grown locally, from farmers market. What additional information has this film compelled you to seek out? Watching this film, I wanted to know more about e-coli. The full name for e-coli is Escherichia coli and it is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. Most of the e-coli bacteria are not harmful but some e-coli bacteria cause gastrointestinal infections and they are the reasons of unhygienic food preparation, farm contamination due to manure fertilization, irrigation of crops with contaminated grey water or raw sewage, feral pigs on cropland, or direct consumption of sewage-contaminated water. Some simptoms of e-coli infectiona are severe stomach cramps and stomach tenderness, diarrhea watery at first, but often becoming very bloody, nausea and vomiting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escherichia_coli http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/e-coli-infection-symptoms
Director: Robert Kenner
Release year: 2008
What is the central argument or narrative of the film?
The central argument of the film is the corporation effect on food. The film shows how the meat is produce by corporation, not by farmers any more. These foods made by the corporations are dangerous. After tobacco, farming failed, chicken farming becomes popular. Because of the growth hormones, chickens grow so big that they cannot keep up with their own weight. To reduce the diseases, these chickens are feed antibiotic through food. The bacteria become resistance so the antibiotic does not work anymore. All the chicken go to processor, even the chicken are sick. The farmers are slaves to the company. One of the farmer, Carole loss the contract with the corporate, after she refused to raised the chicken in dark, tunnel ventilated houses. Most of farmers are in a lot of debt. Therefore, they cannot raise their voice. 90% of the soybeans are Roundup ready soybeans by Monsanto. Corns are also vastly produced by breeder, pesticides, and fertilizers. Corn could produce many other products and they are also use to feed animals since it make the animals fat quickly. The dollar menu, the foods are chipper, but vegetables are expensive. Salt, fat, and sugar causing obesity. People are having more diabetics.
What sustainability problems does the film draw out?
The film mentioned many sustainability problems. Beside direct sustainable problems like water pollutions, the food system also produce many matrix sustainable problems. E-coli are found in beef, spinach, and apple juice. A child named Kevin died in 12 days from e-coli. All the pesticides and fertilizers that used in producing corn are polluting the water. The corporate are taking advantages of many workers. Meat packing industry has a lot of illegal Mexican worker. Worker are being arrested, but industries do not get in trouble even they hired them. The laws are not strong enough to support the farmers. Corporate investigate farmers to find out the they are saving any seed. Farmers cannot claim their own seed because they could be fall under copyright violation. Justice system is corrupted. Current Supreme court justice was Monsanto’s attorney. Govt. employees were also linked with Monsanto. Many people worked for Monsanto now work for government. All the consumer should label, but companies fought not to label. They make laws, where it becomes harder to sue them. Since these corporate are holding the market, other countries cannot compete.
What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why?
There are many compelling part in this film. The industrial food system started with the fast food. Mcdonald fast food restaurant bring the factory system to restaurant. They are the largest buyer for beef, chicken, pork, apple, tomato, cabbage. Therefore, they are controlling the quality of the food. Tyson is controlling the chicken. Chicken are change to have bigger breast meat in smaller days than past. E-coli evolved from feeding the cow corn. Chief of USDA was chef of beef industry, head of the FDA, was vice president of the national food processor. FDA reduced the food safety inspections from past. Court said, USDA don’t have the power to shut down the plants even though had contaminated food.
What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? Why?
The film mentioned, the system do not find the source of the problem, rather they come up with hi-tech solution. Hi-tech solutions are good but to solve a problem, they need to find the solution too. The hamburger meat was cleaned with ammonia to kill E-coli. Since, these corporate make so much money, why they do not invest more people to come up with sustainable ways for production.
What audiences does the film best address? Why?
I think everybody should watch this film, especially parents. This film could be little extreme for the children. Therefore, they do not need to see the film. They could learn all the bad and goog food habits from their parents.
What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value?
The film could have mentioned about the negative effects on the soil because of the mono farming. It also did not relate the corporate food system with many sustainable problems, like global warming, climate change and others. The film focused mostly on USA. If the film showed some other different food growing system from other countries, audiences could have compared the systems.
What kinds of action and points of intervention are suggested by the film? If the film itself does not suggest corrective action, describe actions that you can imagine being effective.
The film suggests few solutions. According to them, battle against tobacco could be a model. Buy from the companies that treat workers, animals, and the environment with respect. After going to the supermarket, choose foods that are in season, buy organic food, know the content, and read the label. Buy foods that are grown locally, from farmers market.
What additional information has this film compelled you to seek out?
Watching this film, I wanted to know more about e-coli. The full name for e-coli is Escherichia coli and it is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. Most of the e-coli bacteria are not harmful but some e-coli bacteria cause gastrointestinal infections and they are the reasons of unhygienic food preparation, farm contamination due to manure fertilization, irrigation of crops with contaminated grey water or raw sewage, feral pigs on cropland, or direct consumption of sewage-contaminated water. Some simptoms of e-coli infectiona are severe stomach cramps and stomach tenderness, diarrhea watery at first, but often becoming very bloody, nausea and vomiting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escherichia_coli
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/e-coli-infection-symptoms